Wednesday, August 29, 2012

J: No, as in the guy that's in Anchorman! I can't believe you missed that...

M: Well, maybe if you'd said Ed Harkin...

J: I got the initials right. But really, as for the movie, I jumped a lot. It was pretty scary.

M: Indeed. What did you think of Mr. Harry Potter's foray into non-Potter-ness?

Honestly, nothing more frightening than creepy children.

J: I'd heard not-so-good things, so I admit my expectations were low. However, I really was pleasantly surprised. Not a trace of Harry emerged. He was thoroughly believable as a grieving father, and I have no complaints about his acting skills. Quite the contrary....

M: Brilliant. Though a professed scary-movie hater, I was quite taken with this fim. How would you say it compares to others of its genre? (That's the wine talking...)

J: I'm a recent convert to the scary-movie church, and this one was brilliant, in my opinion. Very little gore, but a lot of suspense, and a significant psychological element, which for me is scarier than any fake blood I've ever seen. Very classic in its execution and very satisfying in its conclusion.

I'm here, Daniel!

M: Ow-oww! I need some more wine...

J: You know, it really was a pretty simple movie.

M: That it was. It made great use of its scenery...

J: Its monochromatic palate...

M: Yes!

J: The Woman In Black, it was nearly black and white.

M: Quite true.

And I'm there. Just kidding! It's her! Watch out!

J: And the brogues were the least of our worries.

M: Yes, how did you find the brogues?

J: They were satisfying!

M: Can I saw "ow-oww" again? Too much? Too much.

J: It's Daniel Radcliffe, so, never.

This guy was in the movie too. The end.

M: Ok, anything else you care to add to our post here, Jenna Ann?

J: Only that if you're enjoying an evening at home alone, this is an excellent way to--

M: Ok, in all honesty, we've watched more than one movie that we presently need to blog about. However, we're feeling a little lazy...and wine-y. Thus, here is a video of cats being jerks. And "speaking" with brogues. Cheers!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

J: Okay. It's time. I'm ready. (I think.) I have just finished watching all six seasons (and numerous specials) of the new "Dr. Who," and my god, I think I'm in love. Not just with David Tennant (10 is my favorite Doctor so far, but 11 is definitely giving him a run for his money), but with the whole show. I've been converted, heart and soul, into a Whovian. This is all thanks to my dear friend Lesley (who also introduced me to Tumblr, incidentally), and to her I will be forever grateful.

The 9th Doctor.Or as I like to say, "Meh."

10. Love of my life even though he's married withthe most beautiful baby you've ever seen.

Let's just start with the basic premise. The Doctor is a Time Lord, the last of his kind, and he travels through the space-time vortex in a spaceship disguised as a blue police box. He is capable of regeneration upon death (hence 10th, 11th, etc.) and often takes a companion with him on his almost-always perilous journeys. The show technically started decades ago, but was revamped in 2005 for a modern generation, and oh, my, am I besotted. As the recent bit is all I've seen, this post will only cover Doctors 9-11.

Number 11. Bowties are cool. Also, I look like Mick Cottin.

Oh, Rose Tyler. You get to kiss David Tennant and I totally hate you for it.No seriously, stop smirking.

Characters, then. The Doctor is silly, caring, protective, loyal, compassionate, humorous, and - above all - British. With the exception of David Tennant (swoon) who is, of course, Scottish, though you wouldn't know it from his beautiful accent. The first Doctor of the modern series, Christopher Eccleston, was not my particular favorite, but I suspect that a reviewing might raise my opinion of him. David Tennant, Doctor Who Extraordinaire, takes over for Seasons 2-4, and finally Matt Smith has brought us to the present with Seasons 5, 6 and 7 (which is about to start!!!). I adore David Tennant for so many reasons, but probably mostly for his excellent hair, wardrobe, and facial expressions. You just sort of implicitly trust the man and believe that no matter what happens, he'll probably sort it out before long. Matt Smith, as previously stated, has grown on me immensely. A much sweeter Doctor than Tennant, he has some similarly impressive goofy chops and never fails to come through in a pinch (I suspect this has more to do with the writing than the acting, but nevertheless...).

I don't like you either, Martha.

Ms. Donna Noble. Earth girl.Platonic friend and therefore tolerable.

Our first companion is Rose Tyler, a spunky, blonde, passionate young woman who always seems to know just want to say to make a scene work. Often seen in the company of Mickey, her sometimes-boyfriend, Rose takes us through Seasons 1, 2, and makes guest appearances in 3 and 4. Martha Jones shows up next, and she's easily my least favorite. She's a bit of a simpering mess too much of the time, though she definitely comes through in the end. Then Donna Noble, who is downright fantastic as the last companion of the 10th Doctor. Clever, confident, snarky, and just altogether a pleasure to watch. Dear friend Lesley has also shared with me some comedy skits that David Tennant and Catherine Tate did outside of the show, and their comedic chemistry is undeniable. At the start of Season 5 we get our first glimpse of the newest (and current) companion, (cue trumpet fanfare) Amelia Pond! She and boyfriend/fiance/husband Rory are probably my very favorite companions so far. She's red-headed, super sassy and Scottish, and Rory is just darling (and devoted and brave, sigh). The team they make with the 11th Doctor is unparalleled, in my opinion, and I just think the show has only improved since it came out back in 2005.

The ever-adorable Ponds.

There are a few foes that appear repeatedly throughout the show, most notably the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Weeping Angels. The episode entitled "Don't Blink" (first appearance of the Angels) has reached an iconic status, at least in the Tumblr world (as has much of Dr. Who anything). However, the Doctor refuses in almost every single instance to carry a weapon, relying instead on a sonic screwdriver. The special effects aren't really worth mentioning, but the makeup is really pretty impressive at times, and there have only been a handful of episodes where I was disappointed in the way it turned out, aesthetically or otherwise. Not only that, but this really is a family-friendly show. In the same vein as truly good young adult fiction (and, say, Star Trek), the stories manage to convey a sense of universality and maturity without relying on explicit anything. I'd share more, but that would be, you know, "Spoilers!"

Don't blink.

Also known as a Dalek. Exterminate!

As I'm sure you can guess, I absolutely adore all the British-speak in the show. Accents vary depending on region, nationality, etc., but never fail to please. I'm still impressed at David Tennant's ability to mask his Scottish accent so thoroughly, but if Hugh Laurie can manage to sound that American for "House", I'm sure David Tennant can pull off British without a thought.

Shut up I can post as many as I want. Is that velour you're wearing, David?

Oh, to be forever immersed in an imagination-rich BBC show about time and space travel with beautiful men wearing suits and Converse sneakers or bowties. Even though it makes me cry on the regular, I will never, ever stop loving Dr. Who.

Monday, August 6, 2012

M: What's more fun than blogging? Chimes. That's gonna be hard to explain.

J: My clock just chimed. That's all. So do we have a point to this post?

M: We do. Today we're going to blog (blague) about a fine piece of Irish cinema starring every Irish actor of whom you may have heard. That makes the em-phass-is seem way wrong, but I can't end a sentence with 'of.'

J: I was very pleasantly surprised by this movie, not the least of which because Colin Farrell finally plays a character true to his nature. The movie's called Intermission and it's witty and funny, sweet...

M: And Irish. Just throwing that in... [trails off into giggles] Choose yer chime!

We can explain...

A hundred years ago, when we were in high school, we bonded over our mutual love of Irish culture. With a little hard work and one traumatizing Student Senate experience, The Irish American Club was born!

Though the club accomplished nothing more than holding a St. Patrick's Day bake sale (which funded some seriously rad t-shirts), we're back again for another try. This time, it's different (we swear!).

We recently spent a year studying beginning Irish Gaelic at the Irish Cultural Center in Kansas City, Missouri. We also both own laptops and enough expendable income to find and view plenty of movies. Then there's the matter of all the time we've discovered we have since graduating from college...

Bottom line: Blog with a Brogue is a chance for us, and you, to delve a little deeper into one of the things we find most fascinating about Irish (or any) culture: the accent. In this blog, we're featuring accents from the Atlantic Archipelago, which includes Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England.

Sit back, grab a pint of your favorite beverage (if it's in a pint glass, it counts), and enjoy!